Although there’s a bit of chill in the air and the rain is coming down this Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, that doesn’t stop several thousand New Jersey-based music lovers from coming to the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel for a one-man show entitled From Broadway to Hollywood, presented by pianist and music authority Richard Glazier.
Before the program begins, we have an opportunity to chat backstage with Glazier who tells us, “Last year, I did a Gershwin show here at the PNC Bank Arts Center and, this year, I was asked to come back to do a solo show called From Broadway to Hollywood.”
Glazier — originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, but who now lives in Sacramento, California — says he enjoys performing here in the Garden State.
“Here, in New Jersey, music is in your blood,” contends Glazier. “Great American popular song is the music of America. Songs are the voice of America. And New Jerseyans — as well as New Yorkers — really relate to this. First and second generation Americans know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Continuing, “People who immigrated to America came for a better life for their children. Some settled in New York’s lower East Side, whereas others settled in Harlem, and elsewhere,” Glazier further explains, “All of the musical ideas from these various places melded together to form the great American voice. That music is now woven into the fabric of our country and, in fact, it’s more than just music — it’s now part of being an American.”
Revealing that his From Broadway to Hollywood show today will feature compositions by such great American songwriters as George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Frederick Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, and Marvin Hamlisch — in addition to a variety of stories — Glazier concludes by commenting, “New Jersey is lucky to have an organization like The Garden State Arts Center Foundation which makes it possible for New Jerseyans to enjoy free performances like this right here in their home state.”
As we conclude our backstage chat, Carolyn “Cookie” Santiago, Executive Director of the Garden State Arts Center Foundation, takes the PNC Bank Arts Center stage, welcoming the crowd by saying, “Thank you for your donations, all of which help us to continue our free series of shows here.”
After also thanking such corporate sponsors as PNC Bank and Live Nation Entertainment, Santiago introduces the star of today’s performance, Richard Glazier, who opens his show today by performing a bouncy version of “The Trolley Song” on the piano.
Explaining that this classic tune was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for Judy Garland to sing in the 1944 film, Meet Me in St. Louis, Glazier reveals that this songwriting duo also created another number for that film which has gone on to become a holiday staple — “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Noting that celebrated composer Steven Sondheim loved both “The Trolley Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Glazier says that even though Sondheim isn’t known for composing melodies, he did write at least one very melodic number. Here, Glazier launches into a lovely piano solo version of “Send in the Clowns,” written by Sondheim in 1973 for the Broadway show, A Little Night Music.
Following large applause, Glazier presents a thrilling piano performance of Aram Khachaturian’s “Saber Dance” stating, “I’m going to perform this just to prove I can play fast if I want to!”
Talking about composer Harold Arlen, Glazier reveals, “I discovered a famous song from the movie, The Sky’s the Limit, a 1943 Fred Astaire film about a tap-dancing test pilot.”
Here, he performs the song — about “an 18-year-old who is going to war and saying goodbye to his sweetheart” — entitled “My Shining Hour.”
As he accompanies himself on the piano, Glazier sings, “Like the lights of home before me/Or an angel watching over me/This will be my shining hour/’Til I’m with you again.”
In addition to his musical performance skills, Glazier is also a top-notch storyteller.
At one point in the show, he tells a personal story about Johnny Greene, whom Glazier says was the “head of the music department at MGM in the ‘40s and ‘50s, winning five Academy Awards for his music direction.”
According to Glazier, he met Greene at a time when Greene was “in his later years, quite ill, and feeling a lot of pain.”
At their meeting, Greene said to Glazier, “Play the opening solo from Gershwin’s Concerto in F. That will tell me everything I need to know about you as a pianist.”
As Glazier played the piece, Greene “shut his eyes, looked at his hands, and started to conduct — and for those few moments,” says Glazier,” he didn’t have any pain.”
Following a world-class performance of Concerto in F, Glazier says, “Greene wrote the classic jazz number, ‘Body and Soul,’” a tune he plays with great emotion much to the audience’s delight.
Moving on to a tender portrayal of Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Glazier’s fingers dance over the keys. The audience claps as soon as they recognize the famous medley.
Following up with a marvelous medley of songs from Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner’s My Fair Lady, Glazier invites the audience to sing on such classic numbers as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Wouldn’t It Be Lovely,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face,” “It’s Almost Like Being in Love,” and “Get Me to the Church on Time.” The audience claps along as they happily sing to Glazier’s expert piano accompaniment.
Following large applause, Glazier reveals that although he was raised in Indiana, his parents occasionally went on trips to New York City where they would see Broadway shows like Fiddler on the Roof.
Reminding the audience that Fiddler on the Roof is a show which is all about “tradition,” Glazier plays a medley of songs from the production. As he performs “Sunrise, Sunset,” the audience spontaneously begins to sing along.
Heads nod as audience members reminisce and tears stream down at least one older gentleman’s face as he hears this nostalgic melody.
Moving on to “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” — the tasteful arrangement filled with arpeggios and even a modulation — Glazier’s medley receives huge applause.
Talking about the original impetus for West Side Story, Glazier discloses that the Bernstein and Sondheim show was “supposed to be called East Side Story”and would focus on “Jews and Italians.”
“I can tell you this story in New Jersey — where everyone is either Irish, Italian, or Jewish,” jokes Glazier,” because it’s all American,” going on to add, “We can be proud of our culture which represents us to the world!” before adding, “and, man, do we need it now!”
Performing a medley of songs from West Side Story, Glazier begins with a lovely piano solo version of “Maria.”
Moving on to a sweeping cinematic arrangement of “Tonight,” Glazier makes the Steinway grand sound like an entire orchestra, prompting enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Following a lively performance of Marvin Hamlisch’s “One” from A Chorus Line, Glazier talks about an item he owned during his teenage years — “a 16mm Bell and Howell movie projector” — which he would use to play films he would “check out from the local library” to watch with family members.
In honor of those great Hollywood films of his youth, he plays a melody of tunes including “Hooray for Hollywood” and — appropriately enough considering today’s weather — “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Announcing, “You’ve been a terrific audience,” Glazier concludes his show by telling a story about when, as a youth, he had an opportunity to visit Ira Gershwin at his home in California and play George Gershwin’s piano.”
Telling the audience, “You’re from New Jersey where lots of your family members came through Ellis Island with hopes and dreams. There was inspiration and there was optimism, all of which are represented in Gershwin’s piece,” Glazier follows with a brilliant solo piano performance of Gershwin’s masterpiece, “Rhapsody in Blue.”
The audience responds to Glazier’s rendition with a well-deserved standing ovation!
Following the performance, as audience members begin to exit the ampitheater, we take a moment to chat with several in the crowd about their experiences regarding From Broadway to Hollywood this afternoon.
States Eleanor from Howell, “I enjoyed all the songs — I knew so many of them,” before exclaiming, “and, oh my gosh — Richard Glazier can play!”
Eleanor’s husband, Bob, agrees and remarks, “I thoroughly enjoyed this concert. I found Mr. Glazier to be very interesting as he reflected on his life experiences,” adding, “I could really relate to him as, in my early childhood — back in the 1940s — I would be taken by my aunts and uncles to the movies, so this show brought back a lot of wonderful memories for me.”
Whereas Terry from Holmdel calls From Broadway to Hollywood, “Great!” her friend, Judy from Middletown, refers to is as “Spectacular!” — both women acknowledging how much they appreciate Richard Glazier’s world-class piano playing acumen, particularly on “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Otto from Cliffside Park agrees, stating, “This concert brought back a lot of memories for me,” explaining, “most of all, it made me remember my older brother, Anthony, who introduced me to all of this music.”
Similarly, Mickey from Toms River reveals, “This show brought back memories of all of the music my parents used to listen to.” Mickey’s husband, Jimmy, however, has a different recollection, exclaiming, “I thought I was listening to Liberace!”
Lastly, we chat with Sonia and Pete, a married couple from Freehold.
Whereas Sonia calls Richard Glazier “one amazing pianist,” Pete likely speaks for many in the audience today when he says about Glazier’s show this afternoon, “It made me feel glad to be an American.”
To learn more about Richard Glazier, please go to richardglazier.com. For information on upcoming free performances presented by the Garden State Arts Center Foundation — including Bobby Rydell with opening act Vinnie Medugno on Sept. 19 for NJ residents 55 and older, and Dick Fox’s Doo Wop Extravaganza featuring The Classics, The Tymes, Joey Dee, Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles, and Lou Christie and The Happenings on Sept. 22 for NJ residents of all ages — please go to gsafoundation.org.
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